I’m really happy to present you my newest sewing pattern, the Project Bag! If you’ve been following me on Instagram you already saw that I announced that this pattern was going to be launched soon and today is the day!
This time I’ve joined forces with Alex and we’ve actually created a new separate brand: Laola Patterns (make sure to follow us on Instragram @laolapatterns!). I’ll tell you all about this new project below.
So first a little bit of backstory to give you all the details! You might only know my work as a lingerie pattern designer but I’ve actually also published a tote bag pattern before. Although I really like the world of lingerie sewing I also really love all other types of sewing, especially bags and other accessories. I have to admit that I’m also a bit hectic in my work and I feel the need for a change from time to time so I like to mix up different projects and having creative freedom to work on different projects to keep myself motivated and happy at work.
This pattern has actually been in the works for a long time! I got the idea of making a project bag pattern based on my personal needs, hehe. I had been knitting a lot and having all my projects in random fabric totes and I felt that I really needed a proper project bag with enough room and lots of pockets. This is when I asked Alex if she wanted to collaborate with me on this project to create a separate pattern line from my lingerie patterns (as these projects don’t have a lot in common).
Alex and I share the workspace at the academy, she’s a very talented surface pattern designer (who has published her fabric collection with Cotton and Steel!!!) who also does killer editorial design and I thought that we could be a good match to work on a project like this. I did the patternwork and prepared the step by step instructions and then she basically made everything pretty and professional looking. It has been such a pleasure to divide the tasks and trust her with all the technical work that I’m not so good at!
So let’s talk about the pattern itself. As usual it comes in English and Spanish with fully illustrated step by step instructions and you can print the pieces out in A4/US letter or A0 copy shop format.
The bag has a comfortable closure with cords and the extension makes the size very practical as it adapts well to whatever project you’re carrying around. The bag is fully lined and looks nice both on the outside and the inside! The exterior has a divided pocket and the interior has a small pocket with a zipper, a specific pocket for needles and a bigger divided pocket with elastic. You can of course omit any of the pockets if you wish but I thought that these are very handy to store all the small things you need on the go (or to store snacks...I’m not judging here, haha).
You can see a video of all the features on Etsy!
You can use any medium weight fabric for this bag, canvas will give you a sturdier result, patchwork cottons will give you a lighter weight result. We’ve added a specific diagram to the instructions so you can easily plan your make and see which combination of fabrics you’d like to use.
I really hope you like this new pattern! I’m really excited to work on this new creative project together with Alex and I’m already planning other patterns I’ve had in mind for some time now.
As always, thank you so much for your support! You can find the Project Bag in English and in Spanish at our new Etsy shop and during this weekend there’s a launch sale so you can get it 10% off, enjoy!
